J. Bruce Baumann was an enigma.
With little formal training, his hair pulled back into a ponytail, Baumann looked nothing like a traditional photographer when he first joined a newspaper staff in Evansville, Indiana. Then he started taking stunning pictures, usually from a different perspective than his colleagues.
The hallmark ponytail, focus and passion for storytelling continued throughout his career as he became photo editor, women’s section editor, then editor at newspapers across the country as well as a member of the National Geographic staff. In the process he left a lasting impact on visual journalism.
Baumann, 82, of Bloomington, Indiana, died Tuesday, July 22, after a valiant fight against cancer.
